30 years since Chernobyl: Witnesses of the past & nuclear power today

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PRESENTATION

The 26th of April marks the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The name Chernobyl stands for a tragedy that forced thousands to leave their homes and has claimed the health of thousands more. Even decades after the catastrophe people are still getting ill and dying prematurely due to the radiation released by the accident.

The awareness of the liquidator's destiny, the destiny of those who were recruited to secure the reactor site and clean-up the contaminated areas, is fading. And the long lasting effects on human health, environment and society after a nuclear disaster are forgotten. Even in the countries most affected by the catastrophe - Belarus and Ukraine - the government is still relying on a future for this dangerous technology. In Belarus by building a new reactor close to the EU border and in Ukraine by prolonging the life time of its old reactor fleet.

Our conference '30 years since Chernobyl - Witnesses of the past & nuclear power today' will bring together Chernobyl witnesses, nuclear energy experts and Parliamentarians to show which effects Chernobyl still has today on the lives of many in those most affected countries and the situation of the nuclear industry on those countries.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

9:00Opening speechMartin Schulz - President of the European Parliament

9:15Welcoming

Rebecca Harms - President of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament

Peter Junge-Wentrup - The European Action Weeks 'For a Future after Chernobyl and Fukushima' (under this years' patronage of the European Parliament)

9:45 Part 1: Commemorating Chernobyl, witnesses report

Moderation: Jo Leinen MEP S&D

Katja Petrowskaja - German-Ukrainian writer

Alexander Ruchlja, Co-Founder of the Rehabilitation and recreation center for Chernobyl children, Nadezhda

Ljubov Negatina & Anatolii Gubariev, History Workshop Chernobyl and the sponsoring of social enterprises in the region

10:45Part 2: the legacy of Chernobyl: the health issue

Introduction: Michèle Rivasi MEP Greens/EFA

Ian Fairlie - TORCH Report 2016

11h15 Part 3: Security of nuclear power today

Moderation: Bronis Ropé MEP Greens/EFA

Tatyana Novikova - Belarusian anti-nuclear activist (Video message)

Irina Sukhy - Ecohome: Belarusian antinuclear activist and member of the board

Iryna Holovko - Bankwatch: expert on current state of nuclear reactors and programmes in Ukraine

12h15Closing remarksSirpa Pietikäinen MEP EPP

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This event is organised by Greens/EFA MEPs Rebecca Harms, Michèle Rivasi and Bronis Ropė and by co-hosted by MEPs Jo Leinen and Sirpa Pietikäinen as NGO IBB

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, Russian, French and German